U.S. patent number 7,656,885 [Application Number 10/852,101] was granted by the patent office on 2010-02-02 for intermediary content gateway system and method.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Sybase 365, Inc.. Invention is credited to Connor C. Kyle, Robert C. Lovell, Jr., Thilo Rusche, Derek Hung Kit Tam.
United States Patent |
7,656,885 |
Tam , et al. |
February 2, 2010 |
Intermediary content gateway system and method
Abstract
A system for enabling exchange of content over a communications
network is disclosed having a first category of users comprising
wireless carriers and a second category of users comprising content
providers. A content gateway platform is provided having a database
for storage of content. The content providers supply content to the
database for use by the wireless carriers and the content is
ultimately offered to end-user customers of the wireless
carriers.
Inventors: |
Tam; Derek Hung Kit (Reston,
VA), Rusche; Thilo (Arlington, VA), Kyle; Connor C.
(Ashburn, VA), Lovell, Jr.; Robert C. (Leesburg, VA) |
Assignee: |
Sybase 365, Inc. (Reston,
VA)
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Family
ID: |
34922772 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/852,101 |
Filed: |
May 25, 2004 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20050201392 A1 |
Sep 15, 2005 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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60552448 |
Mar 12, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
370/401;
370/352 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L
67/28 (20130101); H04L 67/20 (20130101); G06Q
30/06 (20130101); H04L 67/306 (20130101); H04L
67/2842 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04L
12/28 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;709/217,224,203,229,230
;707/10,104,2 ;705/1,65 ;370/352 ;455/406 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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0 777 394 |
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Jun 1997 |
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EP |
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0 959 600 |
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Nov 1999 |
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EP |
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WO 97/20442 |
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Jun 1997 |
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WO |
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WO 97/36434 |
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Oct 1997 |
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WO |
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WO 99/11078 |
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Mar 1999 |
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WO |
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WO 99/33226 |
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Jul 1999 |
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WO |
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WO 00/41533 |
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Jan 2001 |
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WO |
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WO 02/25875 |
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Mar 2002 |
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WO |
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Primary Examiner: Vu; Thong H
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Edell, Shapiro & Finnan,
LLC
Parent Case Text
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application
No. 60/552,448, filed Mar. 12, 2004, which is herein incorporated
by reference in its entirety.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A system for enabling exchange of content over a communications
network, comprising: a content gateway platform comprising a
database for storage of content, the content being received from a
content provider, the content gateway being in communication with a
wireless carrier that serves mobile subscribers who cause the
wireless carrier to pull content from the content gateway platform
in real-time in response to a given one of the mobile subscribers;
the content gateway platform providing tracking services to track
one or more aspects associated with accessing the content in the
database, the content gateway further configured to validate data
indicating for which mobile devices the content is appropriate to
account for content that is mobile device-specific, wherein the
data is received from the content provider along with the
content.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the content gateway platform
provides marketing information to the content provider and to the
wireless carrier.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the marketing information
comprises information related to popularity of a particular piece
of content.
4. The system of claim 2, wherein the marketing information is
displayed graphically.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the content gateway platform
provides billing service.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the content gateway platform
provides settlement service.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the content gateway platform
provides audit service.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the content gateway platform
allocates access rights to users of the content gateway
platform.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the access rights comprise at
least one of viewing rights, creation rights, updating rights, and
deletion rights.
10. The system of claim 8, wherein the users are divided into
groups and assigned allocation rights according to the groups.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein content is developed within the
content gateway platform for storage in the database.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein content is developed outside of
the content gateway platform and communicated to the content
gateway for storage in the database via one or more communications
channels.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more communications
channels comprises at least one of SMTP or SMPP.
14. The system of claim 1, wherein the content gateway platform
transmits messages to the content provider and the wireless carrier
to update status of content within the content gateway
platform.
15. The system of claim 1, wherein the content gateway platform
provides fraud detection service.
16. The system of claim 1, wherein the content comprises at least
one of ring-tones, games, images, voting initiatives, or video.
17. The system of claim 1, wherein the content gateway platform is
administered by an entity separate from the content provider and
the wireless carrier.
18. A system for enabling exchange of content over a communications
network, comprising: a content gateway platform comprising a
database for storage of content the content gateway platform in
communication with a content provider that supplies the content and
a wireless carrier that passes the content to mobile subscribers of
the wireless carrier, the mobile subscribers causing the wireless
carrier to pull content form the content gateway platform in
real-time in response to the mobile subscribers; the content
gateway platform receiving, along with the content, pricing
information for the content, a billing model for the content, data
indicating for which mobile devices the content is appropriate to
account for content that is mobile device-specific, and a life
expectancy of the content.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein the content gateway platform
provides information regarding the number of times a selected piece
of content has been downloaded to both the content provider and the
wireless carrier.
Description
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a content gateway for
use by generators and users of content. More specifically, the
present invention relates to a content gateway for use in wireless
communications that provides a market-place for service providers
and content providers to do business and via which end users may
access enhanced content on, e.g., wireless telephones.
2. Background of the Invention
In today's world of telecommunications, wireless service providers
continue to add more and more content to their service offerings.
The wireless communication industry, in its nascent stages, was
merely about providing wireless voice communication between users.
As the technology has advanced, today's phones and other wireless
devices now offer, for example, games, customizable ring tones,
text messaging services, the ability to capture and send images,
advertising promotions, voting campaigns, internet service,
graphics, video, and any number of new service offerings.
There are many wireless service providers or wireless carriers that
provide these services via mobile communications devices to the
public. The wireless carriers often provide their own content to be
used by their customers, but there are also a growing number of
independent content providers that develop and market content to be
offered to the various wireless carriers. Because of the increasing
number of entities in this market place, it is often difficult for
independent content providers to identify, develop, and promote the
most popular type of content. Also, because some content is
device-specific, content providers may not have the kind of
marketing information necessary to determine what technology they
have already developed that may be worth translating for use on
other devices or with other wireless carriers.
In addition to the marketing aspects, there are transactional costs
associated with the current market place whereby individual
wireless carriers must transact separately with each content
provider to provide the content and determine how the providers
will be compensated for the usage of the content. Accordingly, it
would be desirable to provide improved systems and methods to
promote the enhanced content supplied by disparate providers.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims to provide a consolidated marketplace
for wireless content to aid in alleviating one or more of the
above-described problems. The central point of this consolidated
marketplace is referred to herein as a "content gateway." The
content gateway comprises a database for storage of content
provided by independent content providers as well as wireless
carriers themselves. In addition to storing the content, the
content gateway may allow for one or more of various other
functions/services including, for example, billing and other
accounting services, marketing services, transcoding services,
administrative services, etc.
According to one aspect, the present invention relates to a system
for enabling exchange of content over a communications network. The
system is accessible by at least a first category of users and a
second category of users. A content gateway platform is included
comprising a database for storage of content, whereby the first
category of users supplies content to the database for use by the
second category of users. The content gateway platform further
provides tracking services to track one or more aspects associated
with accessing the content in the database by one or more users of
either the first category or second category.
According to another aspect, a system for enabling exchange of
content over a communications network is disclosed having a first
category of users comprising wireless carriers and a second
category of users comprising content providers. A content gateway
platform is provided having a database for storage of content. The
content providers supply content to the database for use by the
wireless carriers and the content is ultimately offered to end-user
customers of the wireless carriers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exemplary content value chain in accordance with the
present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a content gateway platform
according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is an exemplary schematic diagram showing allocation of
access rights within a content gateway platform according to the
present invention;
FIG. 4 depicts a display window showing how content could be
displayed to a user of the content gateway platform of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a simplified diagram of an exemplary audit trail
utilizing the content gateway platform of FIG. 2; and
FIG. 6 is an exemplary graphical representation of data that could
be presented to a user of the content gateway platform of FIG.
2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In one exemplary embodiment, a content gateway platform in
accordance with the present invention and which will be described
in more detail with respect to FIG. 2, leverages features and
functionality that are provided by key core message processing,
routing, and delivery infrastructure that can be provided by a
wireless communication inter-carrier vendor. An illustrative
example of such an inter-carrier vendor infrastructure may be found
in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/426,662, filed May 1,
2003, entitled "System and Method for Interconnecting Heterogeneous
Networks," the content of which is incorporated by reference herein
in its entirety. Briefly, the inter-carrier vendor described in
this application enables heterogeneous telecommunications systems
to seamlessly exchange messages with one another.
The content gateway platform of the present invention may also,
where appropriate, take advantage of message routing opportunities
that exist through the use of a "universal short code" (USC). An
illustrative example of a USC environment may be found in
co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/742,764, filed Dec. 23,
2003, entitled "Systems and Methods for a Universal Short Code
Administration Facility," the content of which is incorporated by
reference herein in its entirety. This application discloses how a
single short code can be made operable across disparate
telecommunications system providers.
At its most basic level, the content gateway (CG) platform may
serve as a bridge between two key communities in a content
world--content providers and content consumers. Examples of content
providers include the ever-expanding numbers of creators, authors,
packagers, etc., of content. Content consumers are exemplified by
the numerous wireless carriers through which mobile subscribers
(MSs), the ultimate consumers, or end users, of content, are
reachable.
The CG platform, in one aspect, offers the members of each of the
two communities an array of tools and services that support
different activities that may be necessary or desirable during the
content lifecycle. As one illustrative example, consider the
hypothetical content value chain 100 shown in FIG. 1. The process
could start with, for example, content origination at step 110, at
which original content is created or a popular brand may be
offered. At step 120, application development, a packaged offering
is created that provides technical know-how in support of content
owners. Next, at step 130, service provisioning, published
application programming interfaces (APIs), developer programs, and
support services (e.g., hosting and delivery) are considered. The
process next moves on to step 140, Portal/Web provisioning, where
content is offered to the end consumer.
Next at step 150, user interactivity provisioning, device
application services for user interactivity may be provided. At
step 160, link aggregation, enablement and value added services may
be created to facilitate the delivery of content to carriers. At
step 170, mobile delivery, mobile connectivity and data transfer
may be provided. Finally, at step 180, billing and settlement,
bills may generated, collected, and all amounts may be settled
across the various participants. As can easily be appreciated, the
number of participants in this chain makes it difficult for any of
the individual participants to effectively handle the data
collection and reporting capabilities that are required to support
a comprehensive billing and settlement service all the way up and
down the chain.
FIG. 2 depicts, in accordance with the present invention, a
centralized marketplace for content, including content gateway (CG)
platform 200, which alleviates many of the difficulties associated
with individual participants working without any group synergies.
CG platform 200 is intended to be exemplary only. Those skilled in
the art will appreciate that this specific implementation can be
modified as new content and delivery technologies emerge.
One key community associated with CG platform 200 encompasses the
content producers/providers 300, that are depicted at the top of
FIG. 2. A second community, content consumers or carriers 400, are
depicted at the bottom of CG platform 200. CG platform 200, itself,
resides logically, in the middle providing much of the features,
function and services that make possible the management and
delivery of content. CG platform 200 preferably includes a data
storage facility capable of storing, for example, user information,
content, and billing information. CG platform 200 also preferably
allows for accounting functionality to be implemented for both
providers 300 and carriers 400.
In addition, there are other services housed within CG platform
200, such as hosted applications, authentication, access control,
routing/queuing, and auditing. CG platform 200 also provides
administration services, such as, for example, a catalog,
provisioning, reporting, and customer care. Those skilled in the
field of software will appreciate that FIG. 2 represents a
plurality of well-known applications, routing schemes and data
types that have been aggregated in such a way as to provide the
overall functionality of the CG platform 200 described herein.
Content providers 300 and carriers 400 each may interact with CG
platform 200 to upload and/or download content, as well as to
access any of the other services provided within the platform. As
shown, CG platform 200 may support many different types of
communication protocols to allow the various users to connect in
substantially whatever fashion is most convenient. CG platform 200
may also be interconnected with credit/debit services to allow for
easy payment options for the various services provided. These and
other aspects are described in more detail below.
In accordance with the present invention, content producers 300
offer or submit content to CG platform 200 through one or more of
the supported channels--e.g., the exchange of extensible markup
language (XML) documents via simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP),
the exchange of data streams over dedicated short message
peer-to-peer (SMPP) connections, among others shown in FIG. 2. It
should be apparent to those skilled in the art that channels not
expressly depicted, and incorporating other exchange artifacts
(e.g., data streams, etc.), and other communications protocols can
also be employed in conjunction with CG platform 200.
As shown, content consumers 400 retrieve or "pull" content from CG
platform 200 (e.g., in real-time in response to a mobile
subscriber, in scheduled batches to refresh their Web-based portal
interface, etc.) through one or more of the supported channels
(similar to those described in relation to the communication
between content providers 300 and the CG platform 200). Integral to
CG platform 200 is a data storage subsystem for storing all of the
content and other aspects of the system to allow it to operate.
A separate administrative channel supports administrative
activities (e.g., definitional, management, etc.). These activities
may also include, among other things, the creation and maintenance
of the CG platform users. The CG platform also includes a flexible
and extensible user model comprising at least one CG administrator
with universal access to the entire platform as well as individual
users, each with his own specific, assigned set of access rights
and permissions. Each user of CG platform 200 may be assigned a
login ID and password that are associated with the specific set of
access rights and permissions. These rights and permissions may
define the subject matter each individual may see within the
platform as well as what such an individual may do within the
platform.
In a preferred implementation, a CG administrator creates domains
and defines subsets of the universe of content to which each domain
has access. The CG administrator may also create a domain
administrator within each domain. The domain administrator, in
turn, may create and manage the individual CG users within his
domain and may assign to those users (e.g., through an intermediate
group construct) the necessary platform rights. An exemplary
administration chart for assigning rights within CG platform 200 is
shown in FIG. 3.
Along the top level of FIG. 3 are depicted Users, Groups, and
Rights. The rights may include, for example, the ability to view,
create, update, and delete. In the second level, the User Groups
category stores information from the Groups and Users boxes to
determine which users are in which group. The Group Rights box
similarly meshes information from the Rights and Groups categories
to assign various rights to the groups, which is eventually passed
down to the individual users in the group.
Along the bottom row, the User Group Domains category assigns to
various groups access to each of the domains. The Domains category
is also linked to the Content category so that various content is
available within each domain. In addition to providing the rights,
an audit trail may be provided that preserves, among other things,
the particulars (e.g., the date, time, and user ID) associated with
each user's entry into and departure from the CG platform. The
accessibility diagram of FIG. 3 is merely exemplary and one of
skill in the art would understand that other manners of assigning
rights and access may be implemented.
Once a user, which may be a carrier 400 or a content provider 300,
logs into CG platform 200, he may be presented with an initial
screen whose structure and layout (e.g. display artifacts and
navigation menu options) are tailored to the user's specific access
rights and permissions. The display may be populated based on,
among other things, the content visibility rules that have been
assigned to the particular user. FIG. 4 provides an exemplary
display screen to display to a user. In a first window, icons
representative of content a user has previously selected are
displayed. The screen may also include, in a second window, icons
representative of all content that is available to that particular
user. These windows and their content may be modified to allow for
the desired setup for each individual user.
Additionally, a comprehensive search facility may be provided, for
example, to search the display regions, separately or combined, to
filter the items shown, and to rapidly search for items. The
search(es) may be conducted using a range of parameters or values,
such as, for example, content type, date range, and content
provider.
Once a user has selected a piece of content, the user may
optionally preview that content by, for example, viewing an
interactive audiovisual display (e.g., a set of animated screens in
a sequenced slideshow). The preview may be unique to the piece of
content and preferably captures the essence of the content to allow
a user to make an informed decision as to purchasing the particular
piece of content.
Content providers 300 may submit content to the platform via a
variety of means. For example, content providers could submit
content locally. In this manner, content providers could employ a
comprehensive suite of content authoring, creation, packaging, and
other tools that could be offered by CG platform 200. Accordingly,
the content provider could locally generate content from scratch,
directly on CG platform 200 itself. This could provide a major
advantage to small content providers who do not have the resources
to readily produce content from scratch and then also market that
content.
Another way of providing content to the CG platform would be to do
so remotely. In this manner, content providers 300 who produce
their content, for example, within their own systems may use one or
more of the supported channels, XML, SMTP, SMPP, etc. to upload the
content to CG platform 200. This still provides advantages to
content providers who may have the resources to develop their
content, but are looking for, for example, a marketplace where
content consumers "come to shop." For content providers in this
category, CG platform 200 can virtually eliminate the need to shop
their content around individually to each content consumer.
Once a piece of content is resident on the CG platform, it may
begin working its way through a series of steps, such as, for
example, review, approval, and publication. The specific steps
through which a certain piece of content must traverse can be part
of, and live under or within the context of, a flexible and
dynamically configurable workflow sequence. A CG platform user that
has been granted rights and access as described above may view, and
if granted, alter an established workflow sequence, or even create
a new sequence altogether.
A particular workflow sequence may include any number of individual
steps. An exemplary process is described below, but one of skill in
the art will appreciate that other workflow sequences may also be
implemented within the context of the CG platform described herein.
Initially a piece of content may be received and placed in a queue.
Next the content may be analyzed and validated as to the data
elements accompanying the content. These data elements may include,
for example, content name, content type (e.g. MonoPhonic Ringtone,
PolyPhonic Ringtone, Java.TM. Game, Brew.TM. Game), content size,
mobile devices for which the content is appropriate, pricing
information (e.g., suggested retail price, discount information),
billing model (e.g., pre-paid, post-paid), and life expectancy.
Once the content is received, CG platform 200 may issue a
confirmation message (e.g., e-mail, SMS message) to inform the
content provider that the content has been received.
Next, the workflow could proceed to the review process. During this
process, the content may be examined, assessed, and either approved
or rejected. The review process may optionally include adding an
electronic watermark (e.g., "Sample") to the content. Also, the
content may optionally be assigned a rating flag or descriptor.
During each stage of the process, CG platform 200 may notify the
content provider as to the content's status by sending out status
messages to the content provider.
The final step in the workflow could be the selection process. At
this step, a representative of a wireless carrier (i.e., content
consumer 400) could select a piece of content, which would then be
added to that carrier's content portfolio. Again, an optional
message could be dispatched informing either the content provider
or the carrier of this selection. As mentioned above, this workflow
is merely exemplary and numerous other steps, such as, for example,
publication, retirement, and upgrade, may be added to the
workflow.
As mentioned above, a comprehensive audit trail may also be
maintained by CG platform 200 for each piece of content that is
processed through the system. The audit trail may preserve, among
other things, the particulars associated with each instance that a
piece of content is accessed within the platform. FIG. 5 shows a
simplified example of how such an audit trail may by
maintained.
As shown in FIG. 5, a content provider submits a piece of content
to CG platform 200 via an XML document through one of the CG
platform's published APIs. The piece of content is dropped into a
Received queue. The individual steps, for example, as described
above, in the applicable workflow sequence may be applied and,
ultimately, the piece of content is selected by a representative of
a wireless carrier for inclusion in that wireless carrier's content
portfolio.
Once a piece of content has been selected by a wireless carrier for
inclusion in its portfolio, that piece of content is eligible for
distribution through the CG platform's workflow-driven Intelligent
Inventory Distribution (IID) facility. The IID may support one or
more distribution mechanisms.
Two examples of these distributions mechanisms are real-time
distribution and batch distribution. In real-time distribution, for
example, a piece of content that is hosted on CG platform 200 may
be retrieved by a wireless carrier for delivery to a mobile
subscriber in response to a request from the mobile subscriber. In
batch distribution on a scheduled basis, a wireless carrier may
retrieve one or more pieces of content from the CG platform to
refresh the wireless carrier's Web-based content interface. This
content might be, for example, content it offers to any of its
mobile subscribers who elect to purchase a standard content package
offered by the wireless carrier.
During a distribution operation, a number of activities may be
performed, including, for example, examination, invocation, and
generation. During examination, entries on a dynamically
configurable Black List and White list may be examined in order to
filter and, if appropriate, eliminate unwanted distribution.
Invocation may comprise invoking a rating engine on CG platform 200
to develop a cost associated with the selected distribution event.
Generation may involve the generation of one or more content detail
records for capturing some or all of the details of the particular
content distribution event. Other activities may also be included
that will also facilitate, for example, rapid and dynamic inclusion
of new distribution activities within the IID.
Another preferred aspect of CG platform 200 is the capability to
achieve comprehensive billing and settlement. In support of this
service, CG platform 200 preferably has established communication
channels to various external entities, including, but not limited
to, credit card processors and wireless carrier billing systems.
The particulars of each communication channel may be abstracted
away through one or more interface layers. Accordingly, additional
communication channels (e.g., in support of some new external
entity) may quickly and easily be added to the CG platform.
The billing function preferably allows for application of a range
of dynamically configurable parameters to determine the cost of an
event (e.g., downloading a piece of content). For example,
different combinations of units of measure (e.g., transactions,
bytes, messages), pricing models, the application of credit limits,
currency conversions, taxes, and application of coupons or
discounts may be effectuated. During settlement, funds are
allocated and distributed to the proper parties. For example,
settlement may allow for the distribution of funds among all of the
different entities in the hypothetical content value chain
described in FIG. 1.
These settlement and billing facilities can greatly reduce costs of
doing business for content providers because they can be automatic.
If content providers take advantage of this aspect of the present
invention, it may be possible that the providers' only task would
essentially be the creation of the content. All of the other
aspects may be taken care of by CG platform 200 and provider 300
can essentially be assured easy receipt of funds for the use of its
content.
Another function that may be provided by CG platform 200 is that of
comprehensive and easily extensible reporting capabilities. Through
the reporting facility, a suitably-authorized CG platform user may
select from a range of tabular and graphic presentations in support
of a range of activities, including, but not limited to,
monitoring, customer care, and fraud detection.
Monitoring may allow for a CG platform user to monitor, for
example, the interest in a particular piece of content, the revenue
that has been generated from the downloading of a particular piece
of content, and the relative popularity of a wireless carrier's
specific content portfolio. Any or all of these aspects may be
utilized by CG platform users to maximize their efforts. For
example, a wireless carrier can monitor its portfolio and see what
content is popular or not so it can determine whether to
discontinue certain content and potentially save money. It may also
decide to add content similar to what it finds to be popular.
On the content provider side, the developer can see what is popular
and use that information, for example, to focus efforts on porting
applications from one mobile device to other mobile devices to
allow it to take advantage of a particular application's
popularity. Conversely, it can see what is not popular and either
work to enhance that content or cease any further development.
As can be readily appreciated, one advantage of the present
invention is when users, providers, and consumers are linked
together in one large marketplace, it is possible to provide data
not readily available if all parties are separately contracting and
operating in their individual capacities.
Another benefit is improved customer care. CG platform 200 can
allow for investigation and resolution of problems as reported by
customers. Through the billing and settlement facility discussed
above, the possible issuance of credit amounts could be more easily
assessed (e.g., in response to a complaint that a particular
downloaded game did not work properly).
The sheer volume of data may also allow for more enhanced fraud
detection. Suspicious patterns may be more easily identified and
subsequently explored. Such patterns may not even be ascertainable
within the volume any one user could perceive within his/her own
system. Besides the above-described advantages, many more should be
readily apparent to those of skill in the art.
One example of a display that could be made available to users of
CG platform 200 is depicted in FIG. 6. The left-hand side of the
display provides date information, the topside lists the time of
day, and the far right-hand side provides a running total of
traffic accumulation by day. In addition to displaying the amount
of hits for a given piece of content, which may represent how many
times a particular application has been downloaded, the graph in
FIG. 6 may be color coded with, for example, "hot" (e.g., red) and
"cool" (e.g., blue) colors to visually display the popularity of an
application.
Such information could be useful to both carriers 400 and content
providers 300 as described above. Carriers 400 could use the data
displayed in FIG. 6, for example, to see what content is popular
and therefore determine whether to add more of that same type of
content or possibly to add more content from the provider of that
particular piece of content. On the other hand, providers 300 could
use the information, for example, to also determine popular content
and to make the decision to create more similar content or to port
the popular content to other wireless devices not currently
supported. In the converse, carriers 400 and providers 300 could
make similar decisions to phase out unpopular content.
The above-described color-coding, could include, for example, using
"hot" colors, such as, for example, reds, oranges, and yellows to
show high usage and gradually fading into shades of blue and/or to
represent lower usage. The specific parameters need not be limited
to those shown in FIG. 6 and could be customized to include other
parameters such as, for example, event type and date range, among
others. These display parameters may be presented to the user in a
drop-down menu, for example, to provide for easy customization of
the information to be displayed.
The foregoing disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the
present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration
and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit
the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many variations and
modifications of the embodiments described herein will be apparent
to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above
disclosure. The scope of the invention is to be defined only by the
claims appended hereto, and by their equivalents.
Further, in describing representative embodiments of the present
invention, the specification may have presented the method and/or
process of the present invention as a particular sequence of steps.
However, to the extent that the method or process does not rely on
the particular order of steps set forth herein, the method or
process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps
described. As one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate,
other sequences of steps may be possible. Therefore, the particular
order of the steps set forth in the specification should not be
construed as limitations on the claims. In addition, the claims
directed to the method and/or process of the present invention
should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the
order written, and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate
that the sequences may be varied and still remain within the spirit
and scope of the present invention.
* * * * *